Key-holding device



WITNESS:

Oct. 7, 1930. v. J. M CAUL' 1,777,929

KEY HOLDING DEVICE Filed March 18, 1927 V'w J/wauz ATTORN EY a plication,

Patented Oct. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES VERNE J. MQCAUL, on NEW oRLnAnsLoUIsIAnA KEY-HOLDING, DEVICE Application fired March 18, 1927. SeriaI No. 176,542.

The object of this invention is to provide a key holder or thelike which shall include a handle, and means for pivotally mounting a plurality of keys, in a manner similar to that in which the blades of a pocket knife are mounted. V

A further object is to provide a key holding device in which several keys may be mounted bymeans of pins or pivotal members, and each being adapted to be retained in a plurality of positions, and especially in operative position and in foldedposition.

A'further object is to provide a device in which the'several keys used in connection with. a motor car and garage, orused dis-. 7 tinctively for ,ofiice purposes, or for the locks .most commonly used about the house,--may be assembled so thatthey may be readily carried, and the user will know instantly, by

the general appearance of the handle, which set of keys he desires to use at a given time.

With the foregoing and other objects in. view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of elements de- 7 scribed, illustrated and claimed, it being understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the claim Without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the drawings forming part of this ap- Figure 1 is a planviewshowing the holding device, the keys being in open position, or in partly open position. i 1

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Figure 3 V Figure 3 is a view in edge elevation. Figure 1 is a further elevation. Figure 5 is a detail view showing one of the keys, all of these elements having shank portions formed like those of a knife blade. y The handle includes the plates or side plates, 10 and 12, each of these plates mounting a cover or cover plate the latter being designated, respectively, 10 and 12. The de-.

vice is assembledin much thesame manner as a pocket .knlfe 1s manufactured or produced, and one or both cover plates may carry.

a main plate or other form of ornamentation, I and it is obvious that a plate of the kind designated 14 may also indicate the useto which the particular group of. keys mountedbe-, tween the side plates, is to be applied; This marking may be by the use of numbers or numerals, or by the use of words, indicating garage keys, house, office, or desk keys. The keys per se are of the form shown in Figure 5, or may be of that form, and in Fig-V. ure 1 I have shown four blades or keys, designated respectively 15, 16, 17, 18. These keys each include a shank portion 19, a part of 60, which is cut away to form a shoulder 20, and i the shank portion is apertured at 21 for one of the pivots 22.

The spring, although serving much they same purpose as the spring of a pocket knife, is mounted centrally of the handle, and includes the central portion 2 1 having apertures for rivets 25, and the spring includes end portions such as 26, adapted to engage the shank 19 of each of the keys, the shoulders 70.

'Spacing blocks or spreader blocks are shown at 28 and 29, and are of approximately .the thickness of the shanks of the blades.

The pivots 22 are in the form of key retainso ing or mounting screws, and these devices are secured by nuts 23, the nuts being countersunk in the cover plates 10 and 12'. Ofi'sets 23 on the nuts, also counter-sunk, prevent the I nuts from turning. The materials employed 8 5 in the different-parts of the handle, etc.,will of course be suited to the'purpose, and some other element could be substituted for one of 1 the keys, within the scope of the invention. 1

Having described the invention what is so I claimed is 1 1 u The combination with a plurality of keys each including an end portion forming a shoulder, andpivots for mounting the shouldered portions, of spaced longitudinal plates between which the keys are foldable to, closed.

position, a spring, and means for securing the spring at its middle portion between the plates, the ends of the spring bearing on theshouldered ends of the keys in reverse relace In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

VERNE J. MGCAUL. 

